Connecting monitors to interface - confused.com

MagicPigDetective

I have a focusrite Itrack Solo interface. Just received a pair of Presonus E 3.5 monitors. I imagined connecting the two would be straight forward with the cables supplied, but I'm getting thoroughly confused. To be clear, I am pretty clueless when it comes to cables/stereo's, the names and terms mean nothing to me. Trying to find the answer on the t'internet just increases my befuddlement.

The monitors came with a "1/8” TRS to 2x RCA cable", with two red + white jacks at one end, and a single jack at the other end. It seems I can't use this to connect to the interface. What would you use this cable for, do some speaker just have one input?

I can connect the 2X RCA to the back of the interface, left and right. On the back of the monitors are also two inputs for left and right, labelled RCA Unbalanced. So do I just need to get hold of a cable that has 2x RCA on both ends? With two red and white jacks at both ends? Like this:

https://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/rca-cables/7424573?cm_mmc=UK-PLA-DS3A-_-google-_-PLA_UK_EN_Cables_&_Wires_Whoop-_-RCA+Cables_Whoop-_-PRODUCT_GROUP&matchtype=&pla-478640199995&s_kwcid=AL!7457!3!428942735214!!!g!478640199995!&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIxM7WtdOh6QIVTe3tCh3NXgBjEAkYASABEgJa6_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Is it that simple? Why don't they include this rather essential cable with the speaker?

The back of the monitor also has two 1/4 inch TRS left and right balanced inputs, I take it that I don't use these, as the interface has no 1/4 outputs.

Sorry for being stupid!

Lodious

If I understand correctly, the cable which came with the monitors could be used connect something like a headphone jack on a phone to the monitors using he RCA inputs?

If the interface has RCA outputs, then you just need RCA to RCA cable like the one you linked to and pull apart the two cables at the monitor end so you can separate the monitors. 

octatonic

You need this:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/AmazonBasics-2-Male-RCA-Audio-Cable-Black/dp/B07D6JP1WG?th=1

Your monitors are capable of a balanced connection but seeing as your interface is unbalanced there is no point to doing that.
Or you could use the cable you have now to go into the AUX IN on the front of the monitors.
It would look messy- personally I'd want the cabling neater.

MagicPigDetective

Ok great, I can start using them with the aux in till I get the cable. Thanks both.

Edit: Now playing tunes with the Ipad into the interface going into the Aux In; sounds great, but yes cables all over the place!

MagicPigDetective

Well that didn't last long. Two hours of use, in the middle of the Highway Star solo, a loud crack and they are now completely dead. Is it worth checking the fuse in the plug I wonder?

Well they'll be going back to amazon, not sure if I should risk a replacement or get something else. They did sound good.

Gutted.

spark240

You can but that doesn't sound good....I saw thread on the Presonus forum with a similar failure, they reckon a capacitor had blown ?

I assume this were brand new?.....you will need to return I guess..

MagicPigDetective

Yeah brand new. Changing fuse makes no difference, it did sound like something blowing up.

I chose these over the Mackie 3 as there were reviews about them blowing up.

spark240

Shame....I’m always a bit concerned about Presonus , even though my own studio is based around it.

  They brought out so many products lately I wonder how they measure the quality.

TheBigDipper

spark240 said:

Shame....I’m always a bit concerned about Presonus , even though my own studio is based around it.

  They brought out so many products lately I wonder how they measure the quality.

Not so much about Presonus per se, but technology products in general...  

The market (that's us, isn't it?) has been encouraged to expect so much, so quickly, that manufacturers push and push to get the latest and greatest out to us as soon as possible. Otherwise we don't wait and we buy the competition. In addition, because the building of much of that tech has been outsourced to countries with cheaper costs, the manufacturer isn't in control of component or build quality. The builder can control their activities, but they don't have control of component quality, either.

So the first components supplied for the prototypes will be the best that can be supplied. The builder assembles the design in the best way they can to send it out to the manufacturer for QA and approval/sign-off. Once that is passed, it's easy to understand how standards might slip - not deliberately, but just because the pressure for perfection isn't so intense. The result being the early production runs of a product might not perform according to design and have component failures once the product gets out to the general public - either due to components being lower quality or the assembly being not quite so precise. 

The days of a manufacturer in Birmingham making all their own parts to their standards, or having the factory next door make them and you could pop over the road if a problem emerged are long gone. 

The measurement of quality for the manufacturer will be how many are returned as faulty. I could envisage a situation where it's cheaper to accept that 1% of products fail and get replaced for free, than it would be to go to the other side of the world and spend time and effort identifying and fixing the underlying problem. 

If it's cheap enough and has enough promised features, the marketplace will reward you for taking that approach even though individuals will get angry and may choose someone else next time. For example, unhappy Presonus customers will buy Focusrite, but Presonus will collect unhappy Focusrite customers. 

Sorry - thread hijack, but I'm going to blame @spark240 for making the thought pop up in my head! 

spark240

Yeah I think it’s know as Type testing, whe they get confident in the product, they go from 1 in 10 quality check. To 1 in 100 and so on, 

Ive been pretty lucky o guess, my Presonus mixer is Gen 1 and never had any issues, it’s more likely now to be outdated by connectivity I reckon.

That said, I buy lots of tech kit and can’t recall the last time I had to return something.

maybe @MagicPigDetective playing is just too damn much for those monitors !

MagicPigDetective

Annoyingly I didn’t get a chance to play guitar through them. Just played tunes for an hour; it was Deep Purple that blew up my speakers! 

I’ve ordered a replacement and hoping for better luck (and construction) next time, hopefully won’t get one of the 1% twice.

One thing that does concern me is the flimsy amazon packaging, perhaps a knock weakened a connection? 

rico

I bought some of these for my brother last Christmas and they came with everything he needed to get going...including the male to male RCA cable.

Sorry to hear they've broken!

MagicPigDetective

The replacement E3.5 works fine with the new cable. It has certainly transformed my enjoyment of garageband; the amps sounded ropey through headphones, but with the monitors they sound so much better.